JPM26: AstraZeneca bids to accelerate oncology R&D with Modella AI acquisition

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Source: Pharmaceutical Technology

Original: https://www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/news/jpm26-astrazeneca-bids-to-acceler...

Published: Wed, 14 Jan 2026 17:20:08 +0000

AstraZeneca has entered into a multi-year agreement with Modella AI to accelerate oncology research and development using advanced multimodal AI foundational models.[1][2][3] These models enable efficient processing of various types of data and their integration into AstraZeneca's global oncology portfolio.[1][2][3] The goal is to accelerate clinical development, biomarker discovery, and improve patient outcomes.[1][2][3] Modella AI will provide access to its models that support prediction of treatment responses, automation of workflows and identification of new targets.[2] The technology integrates directly into AstraZeneca's oncology pipeline, covering immunotherapies, antibody drugs, bispecific molecules, hormone therapies, radiopharmaceuticals and kinase inhibitors.[2] Jorge Reis-Filho, Chief AI and Data Scientist of AstraZeneca's Oncology R&D, said AI is integrated into all aspects of clinical development and combined with proprietary data increases the chances of clinical trial success.[1][2][3] Jill Stefanelli, CEO of Modella AI, emphasized the potential of models to accelerate data-driven development and create new AI agents to automate complex R&D processes.[1][2]